Shortbread is brilliantly adaptable- you can add so many different flavours to it and create something new. Here, I've included rose and given the biscuits a chocolate coating, a combination that works beautifully.
Makes20
CourseSnack
Prepare25 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time55 mins
PlusChilling and cooling
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp rose water, (rose water can vary in intensity, so add just a little at a time)
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
2 tbsp Waitrose Cooks' Ingredients dried rose petals, plus extra to decorate
200g dark chocolate
Method
Put the butter, sugar, lemon zest, rose water (to taste) and vanilla in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down and add the flour, a pinch of salt and the rose petals, mixing together briefly until it comes together as a dough. Tip the dough onto the work surface and bring together into a ball. Flatten with your hands, then roll out to a 25cm square; place on a baking tray and chill until firm – about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170?C, gas mark 3; line 2 baking trays with parchment. Halve the dough, then cut into 2.5cm-thick fingers and pierce all over with a fork.
Put the biscuits on the prepared baking trays and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts until about ¾ of the chocolate has melted. Mix vigorously with a spatula until fully melted (this is a quick method of tempering the chocolate). Dip the shortbread halfway into the chocolate, allow the excess to drip off, then lay on a clean sheet of parchment to set, decorating with a few extra rose petals. Once the chocolate has set, you can store the shortbread in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
